Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to orthopedic external fixators for use in treating certain bone conditions (e.g., bone fractures) and, more specifically, to means for allowing a strap extending from a patient""s foot to be attached to the external fixator.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Certain boney skeletal injuries or conditions are sometimes treated with an external frame that is attached to the boney skeleton with threaded and/or smooth pins and/or threaded and/or smooth and/or beaded wires. Such constructs are commonly referred to as orthopedic external fixators or external skeletal fixation devices. External fixators may be utilized to treat acute fractures of the skeleton, soft tissue injuries, delayed union of the skeleton when bones are slow to heal, nonunion of the skeleton when bones have not healed, malunion whereby broken or fractured bones have healed in a malposition, congenital deformities whereby bones develop a malposition, and bone lengthening, widening, or twisting.
External fixator frames vary considerably in design and capabilities, and may include multiple or single bars or rods, and a plurality of clamps for adjustably securing the bars to pins or wires which are, in turn, joined to the boney skeleton. The pins or wires may extend completely through the boney skeleton extending out each side of the limb (e.g., transfixation pins) or may extend through the boney skeleton and out one side of the limb (e.g., half pins). Such external fixator frames may be circumferential for encircling a patient""s body member (e.g., a patient""s tibia), or may be unilateral for extending along one side of a patient""s body member. More that one unilateral external fixator frame can be applied to the same length of the patient""s body member. Materials for frames also vary, including metals, alloys, plastics, composites, and ceramics.
A circumferential external fixator system was disclosed by G. A. Ilizarov during the early 1950""s. The Ilizarov system includes at least two rings or xe2x80x9chalosxe2x80x9d that encircle a patient""s body member (e.g., a patient""s leg), connecting rods extending between the two rings, transfixion pins that extend through the patient""s boney structure, and connectors for connecting the transfixion pins to the rings.
Mears, U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,533, issued Nov. 4, 1986, discloses a unilateral external fixator system including a plurality of fixation pins attached to at least one rigid bar through adjustable clamps having articulating balls which allow rotational adjustment of each pin or bar.
In order to prevent or avoid foot drop while using an external fixator, straps are sometimes coupled to the patient""s foot (e.g., to a post operative surgical shoe or the like worn on the patient""s foot) and to one of the pin sites of the external fixator. However, such a method can result in the patient""s foot being pulled up at an undesired angle and can result in pin site damage due to the stress put on the pin site by the straps, etc.
A preliminary patentability search conducted in class 602, subclasses 27 and 28, and in class 606, subclasses 53 and 54 produced the following patents which appear to be relevant to the present invention:
McIntyre, U.S. Pat. No. 2,536,454, issued Jan. 2, 1951, discloses a toe lift attachment for leg braces.
Jaquet, U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,854, issued Jun. 8, 1976, discloses an apparatus for orienting and securing a rod in a spatially adjusted position.
Murray, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,334, issued Nov. 20, 1984, discloses a external fixation device for holding bone segments in known relation to each other.
Pettine, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,370, issued Sep. 11, 1990, discloses an Achilles tendon rehabilitation brace for protecting motion that may be imposed on a repaired Achilles tendon following surgical anastomosis.
Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,699, issued Jan. 11, 1994, discloses a foot drop orthotic and gait training device.
Hess, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,912, issued Aug. 6, 1996, discloses a foot splint having a back portion, a heel portion, a foot portion, and a diagonally extending frame connecting the heel and foot portions.
Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,423, issued Jan. 19, 1999, discloses an ankle-foot orthosis.
Nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests the present invention. More specifically, nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests a clamp device for use with an external skeletal fixator for being coupled to a patient""s limb, and strap means having a first end for being coupled to a patient""s extremity and having a second end. The clamp device includes an elongated clamp rod; a first connection means for adjustably attaching the clamp rod to a fixator rod of the external fixator; and a second connection means for adjustably attaching the second end of the strap means to the clamp rod.
The clamp device of the present invention comprises, in general, an elongated clamp rod; a first connection means for adjustably attaching the clamp rod to a fixator rod of an external fixator; and a second connection means for adjustably attaching the second end of a strap means that is coupled to a patient""s extremity to the clamp rod.